Tawnya Means

Tawnya Means is a leading voice in educational innovation with over two decades of experience guiding institutions through technological transformation. A recognized thought leader and consultant, she has worked with universities across six continents on online learning strategy and AI integration, focusing on where ancient educational wisdom meets cutting-edge technology to create truly personalized, engaging learning experiences at scale.
Her previous leadership roles include serving as Assistant Dean at the Gies College of Business, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where she spearheaded initiatives to integrate cutting-edge pedagogy and technology; Assistant Dean and Director of the Teaching and Learning Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln; and Director of the Teaching and Learning Center at the Warrington College of Business, University of Florida, where she led faculty development programs and championed instructional innovation and pedagogical best practices. With extensive experience in higher education, course design, and educational consulting, Dr. Means has also taught courses in entrepreneurship, strategy, technology, and leadership in remote teams.
As a Gallup Certified Strengths Coach, she brings both visionary perspective and practical implementation experience to her work. Currently serving in educational leadership, Tawnya continues experimenting with AI tools to enhance the irreplaceable human connections that make education meaningful.
Her academic journey is marked by a B.S. in Education, an M.S. in Educational Technology, and a Ph.D. in Information Science and Learning Technologies, focusing on learning systems design—all from the University of Missouri. She further honed her expertise by completing the AACSB Post-doctoral bridge program in Management and Entrepreneurship at the University of Florida.

Areas of Expertise

• Active learning
• Faculty development
• Learning space design
• Online and blended learning
• Widening access to digital learning resources